Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he benefited from fixing poker games involving members of the Mafia and at least one other former NBA player.
Billups, a five-time All-Star and champion with the Detroit Pistons, was indicted in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a mob-sponsored scheme to rig illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons.
Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Some were charged with operating an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit robbery, and conspiracy to extort.
Prosecutors announced Monday that plea deals had been entered into with some of the defendants, which they did not name.
U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes said he hoped to bring the vast case to trial by next September and called on lawyers in the court to “do what they have to do.”
Billups, who wore a dark gray suit during Monday’s brief arraignment, spoke only to answer the judge’s yes-or-no questions. His attorney, Mark Mukasey, entered a not guilty plea.
They declined to comment to reporters afterward, but one of Billups’ lawyers called him “a man of integrity” and said he denies the charges.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would jeopardize his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, his freedom. He is not going to jeopardize them for anything, let alone a card game,” Chris Heywood said after appearing in federal court in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.
Billups, 49, was released on $5 million bail secured by his family’s home in Colorado. He must refrain from gambling and cannot have contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He has given up his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon, New York and Washington, DC.
Billups, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year, was arguably the most prominent of the more than 30 people indicted by the federal government last month in a massive bust of illegal gambling operations tied to professional sports.
In addition to the arraignment, Billups and his co-defendants, including former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, appeared for a briefing on Monday and are scheduled to return to court on March 4.
Prosecutors say the poker rigging scheme used sophisticated technology, including a modified card shuffling machine, hidden cameras in the chip tray, special sunglasses and an X-ray machine built into the table to read the cards.
Jones, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and others are also accused of conspiring to help gamblers exploit insider information about players to win NBA bets.
Prosecutors allege Billups’ poker scheme defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million since at least 2019.
They say he served as a celebrity “face card” that could attract wealthy and unsuspecting players to the game. During one match, prosecutors said, organizers of the scheme exchanged messages saying that one of the victims was “starring” and “acted as if he wanted Chauncey to get his money.”
Prosecutors allege Billups, who earned about $106 million during his playing days, received some of the ill-gotten gains. For example, he was allegedly wired $50,000 directly after a match-fixing match in October 2020.
The scheme’s organizers also had to share some of the proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno mob families for operating within an illegal poker game run by a New York criminal enterprise, prosecutors said.
Mafia members allegedly facilitated acts of violence, including assaults, extortion, and robbery, to repay debts and ensure the continued success of the operation.
After playing for the Colorado Buffaloes in college, Billups was drafted third overall in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics. He played 17 years in the NBA, playing for the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers.
But he’s perhaps most beloved in the Motor City, where his knack for clutch shots earned him the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.”
Billups was named NBA Finals MVP when the Pistons won the title in 2004, but his No. 1 jersey was retired by the team.
After retiring in 2014, Billups began his career as a television analyst before transitioning into coaching.
He took over as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach for the Clippers.
Following his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter as interim coach.
Marcelo writes for The Associated Press. Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisask contributed to this article.
